Anthony M. Smith, Ph.D.
Dr. Anthony M. Smith, Ph.D. is a former high school English/language arts teacher-turned professor and scholar of literacy education. He formerly taught at Kent State University before co-founding the ninth member of the Ivy League, Cinio University, alongside former United States Senator John Org in 2030. History Smith grew up in northeast Ohio, and had a relatively average life. The son of divorced parents, Smith attended public schools and lived in the same, 3-bedroom house from birth until he left for college. He received a Bachelor's from Kent State in Integrated Language Arts. He taught in several districts across northeast Ohio before returning to Kent State to begin his doctoral studies, skipping a Master's program entirely. In the spring of 2026, Smith received his Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy education. Immediately after, he returned to KSU as an assistant professor of literacy education, where he taught undergraduate courses in the secondary language arts teacher preparation program, as well as graduate courses in reading specialization and literacy. Despite being a tenured professor at Kent State, he left the institution to meet up with an old friend to co-found their very own university. Career at Cinio University In the fall of 2030, Smith and Org began what would undoubtedly be the most ambitious project to ever be undertaken in anyone's life. While Smith drew up curricula, programs, and courses, as well as interviewed potential faculty and staff, Org oversaw the construction of the university's infrastructure; made architectural plans for each building, and marketed the university to prospective students and faculty. Within two years, the construction of the university was complete and opened up for classes in the fall of 2032. With an operating plan in place, Smith named Org Dean of the College of the Arts & Science, where he would also teach courses in the political science department. Smith himself became Dean of the College of Education & Human Services, as well as teaching courses in secondary and literacy education. As Cinio University grew in popularity, the acceptance rate fell sharply, academics rapidly grew more challenging, and esteemed faculty and academics showed interest in working for the university. The university continues to operate at maximum capacity, with Smith working tirelessly to upgrade the university and attract the scholars of tomorrow. Reputation at C.U. Smith's reputation at Cinio University is very mixed. He holds an average RateMyProfessor score of 3.6, with a course difficulty of 4.1, suggesting his classes are extremely challenging. Students consistently say homework in any one of his classes is more than an average semester load of 18 credits. He is also known to grade "extremely" hard, and often leaves very critical and detailed comments on student papers. A common story takes place every fall in his EDUC 10010 (Intro to Teacher Education) course, where he is so intimidating on the first day, nearly all but five or six students will drop the class. This story has become such a famed legend on campus many of C.U.'s professors will stop by his class on the first day of the semester and mimic his behavior in their own courses. Those who have found value in his classes say they feel more prepared for their careers than their friends in similar programs at other schools. This reflects in students' internship placements, where mentor teachers are reportedly stunned by their student teacher's depth of knowledge of the material and of the teaching profession. This has led to a 100% placement of Cinio University graduates of the teacher education program in schools nationwide. Cinio University graduates also reportedly have the highest scores on the Praxis and Ohio Department of Education Teacher Licensure assessments out of any school in the state. Courses Taught Below is a full list of courses Smith has either taught or is teaching at Cinio University. - FYE 10097 (The C.U. Experience) - EDUC 10010 (Introduction to Teacher Education) - EPSY 29525 (Educational Psychology) - ADED 32142 (Principles of Teaching Adolescents) - ADED 42292 (Field Work Practicum) - ADED 43315 (Teaching Literature in Secondary Schools) - ADED 43325 (Multimodal Literacies in the Secondary Classroom) - ADED 43335 (Teaching Language & Composition) - ADED 47330 (Reading & Writing in Adolescence & Adulthood) - ADED 49525 (Inquiry into Professional Practice) - ADED 53315 (Teaching Literature in Secondary Schools) - ADED 57330 (Reading & Writing in Adolescence & Adulthood) - ADED 62145 (Principles of Secondary Teaching) - ADED 62191 (Seminar in Secondary Education) - ADED 72191 (Seminar in Secondary Education) - CI 67310 (Theory & Practice in the Teaching of Reading) - CI 67312 (Teaching Writing as a Process) - CI 67319 (Diagnosis & Remediation in Reading) - CI 67330 (Reading in Content Areas) - CI 67692 (Clinical Practicum in Corrective Reading) - CI 77310 (Theory & Practice in the Teaching of Reading) - CI 77312 (Teaching Writing as a Process) - CI 77319 (Diagnosis & Remediation in Reading) - CI 77330 (Reading in Content Areas) - CI 87000 (Theory and Research in Teaching) - CI 87342 (Seminar in Reading and Language) - CI 87398 (Research in Reading and Language Arts) - ENG 11011 (Introduction to College Composition) - ENG 20021 (Introduction to Creative Writing) - ENG 21011 (Advanced College Composition) - ENG 24002 (Introduction to Composition Theory) - ENG 38002 (Writing & Rhetoric Studies) Category:Cinio U